1. Field of the Invention
The present invention applies to the field of devices for in some manner holding, transporting or moving of cylindrical tanks such as gas tanks, and most particularly, oxygen tanks which are commonly utilized by emergency personnel such as with fire trucks and rescue trucks. Storage of large heavy cylindrical tanks of gas as required on such vehicles often are in racks that are horizontally oriented, therefore the need has arisen for handling of such cylindrical tanks to facilitate movement thereof vertically, as well as rotational movement thereof such that the tank can be positioned horizontally or vertically for deployment or storage as needed in the particular situation and as dictated by the requirements of the vehicle in which it is positioned.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous patents have been granted on prior art devices for the purposes of lifting, supporting and/or manipulating cylindrical tank configurations such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,896,249 patented Feb. 7, 1933 to F. B. Russell and assigned to Bethlehem Steel Company on a “Carrier”; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,404,513 patented Jul. 23, 1946 to B. L. McCabe and assigned to Stuart Oxygen Co. on a “Gas Cylinder Holder”; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,624,483 patented Jan. 6, 1953 to E. E. Ketzel on a “Carrier For Welding Outfits”; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,738,086 patented Mar. 13, 1956 to W. A. Reich and assigned to A. Reich & Sons, Inc. on a “Hand Truck For Handling Banana Bunches”; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,235,212 patented Feb. 15, 1966 to B. J. Baumiller, Jr. on a “Portable Laundry Basket”; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,471,046 patented Oct. 7, 1969 to G. H. Hess and assigned to Stanray Corporation on a “Cart For Gas Cylinders”; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,587,892 patented Jun. 28, 1971 to Howard H. Vermette on a “Device For Elevating, As Well As Tipping Or Tilting Drums, Barrels, Containers And The Like To Dump The Contents Therefrom”; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,602,368 patented Aug. 31, 1971 to Robert H. Gould and assigned to Sun Oil Company on a “Pallet For Gas Cylinders And The Like”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,070 patented May 3, 1977 to Fran Joseph Shea on a “Mechanical Lift”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,188 patented Jul. 26, 1983 to Otmar Kaup and assigned to Kaup & Co. KG on a “Load Carrying Arrangement For A Lift Truck”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,171 patented Apr. 16, 1985 to Lee B. Petersen on a “Wheelchair Restraint”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,123 patented Aug. 20, 1985 to Wayne E. Snyder on a “Hand Truck Apparatus for Elevating And Transporting An Object”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,358 patented Dec. 3, 1985 to Burton C. Harlan on a “Portable Hoist”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,656 patented Oct. 7, 1986 to Joseph T. Geraghty, Jr. on a “Cylinder Gripping Attachment For A Fork Lift Truck; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,582 patented Apr. 19, 1988 to John E. Roberts and assigned to E. Manufacturing Company Inc. on a “Tank Carrier and Manipulator”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,050 patented Jan. 10, 1989 to Helmut Habicht on an “Apparatus for Lifting and Tilting Drums Of Flowable Material”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,550 patented May 4, 1993 to Marcus S. Lehman and assigned to Valley Craft on a “Drum Handler”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,136 patented Aug. 23, 1994 to Ralph M. MacNeil et al and assigned to Canadian Liquid Air Ltd. on a “Cylinder Cart With Magnetics”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,278 patented Sep. 6, 1994 to Howard Emig, Jr. on an “Apparatus for Raising And Moving An Open Ended Container”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,190 patented Feb. 28, 1995 to Coleman Vickary on an “Apparatus For Lifting And Tilting Heavy Containers”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,149 patented Jul. 29, 1997 to David Edmund Talbot Garman and assigned to Mangar International Limited on an “Apparatus For Moving Disabled Persons”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,658,118 patented Aug. 19, 1997 to Battista Luca on a “Cylinder Transporter”; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,312 patented Jul. 11, 2000 to Michael P. Ziaylek et al on a “Tank Handling Apparatus”; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,568 patented Nov. 20, 2001 to Anthony McCord and assigned to L′Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour l′Etude et l′Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude on “Installation For Storing and Holding Gas Cylinders”; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,406,248 patented Jun. 18, 2002 to Dennis E. McGill et al on an “Apparatus For Lifting And Moving An Upright Cylindrical Container”; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,999 patented Oct. 28, 2003 to Massimo Grossele and assigned to Gromet s.n.c. di Grossel Massimo & C. on an “Ecological Carriage For Dums”; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,394,387 patented Jul. 1, 2008 to Joseph W. Noonchester on an “Emergency Worker Rescue Apparatus”; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,789,611 patented Sep. 7, 2010 to Michael Wilson and assigned to Wilcole, Inc. on a “Compact System For Lifting And Moving A Pressurized Tank; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,824,144 patented Nov. 2, 2010 to Michael R. Wilson and assigned to Wicole, Inc. on a “Compact System For Lifting And Moving A Pressurized Tank”; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,035,525 patented Oct. 11, 2011 to Joseph W. Noonchester on an “Emergency Worker Rescue Apparatus”; and United States Patent Publication No. 2002/0076313 published Jun. 20, 2002 to Roger Vartanian SR on a “Platform Lift”; and United States Patent Publication No. 2007/0292249 published Dec. 20, 2007 to Michael Wilson on a “Compact System For Lifting And Moving Pressurized Tank”.